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Thoughts on the Yugo M59/66 SKS?

Matt-CZ

Matt-CZ

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Happy day, my C&R license has finally arrived. I know the golden era is over, but I'm still interested.

Thinking about an SKS, and noticed that REDACTED has Yugo M59/66 back in stock. Based on pics and reviews, these are usually pretty good quality. Lightly used, well stored millsurp.

Anyone have any strong opinions about these compared to other SKS? For ~$400, it seems like one of the better deals available in the current markets.

Opinions much appreciated!
 
Im no expert, but IMO they are very nice rifles for the most part. Possibly better craftsmanship than some even. While a lot of the chinese rifles for the U.S. commercial market cut corners from the 80's and onward, the yugos exhibit some of the nicer machining of the early chinese/russian rifles. Thats not to mention the additional complexity (and cool factor) of the grenade launching hardware. People seem to look poorly on the Yugo guns because they dont have a chrome lined bore, but Im not sure its that big a deal. They are heavier though. That would be the biggest complaint I would make. All that extra metal right out at the end of the barrel. You really notice it going directly from a Chinese gun. Is it that big a deal though?.....probably not. Overall, really nice guns. You'll likely be happy.
 
Love mine, and I dont shoot corrosive ammo so the non-chrome bore doesn't bother me. I wouldn't think twice about owning one of the Yugos and the price of them will only continue to go up.
 
If you want an sks, skip the Yugo. Look at a nice condition Chinese and a Russian . The Yugos are covered in cosmo and still imported. The other 2 you can find clean and are no longer imported. Spend the extra 100 or so.
 
Hardwired said:
If you want an sks, skip the Yugo. Look at a nice condition Chinese and a Russian . The Yugos are covered in cosmo and still imported. The other 2 you can find clean and are no longer imported. Spend the extra 100 or so.
Click to expand...

Is covered in cosmo bad? Degreasing is half the fun!
 
Yugo's are fine rifles. Clean and enjoy.
 
It's worth grabbing one to learn about decosmo .

I would grab a Mosin Nagant if some flavor too. I managed to acquire a really nice T53. It sits in the safe next to a Yugo with the bayo and Nato gernade launcher.

Mine came with duck bill mags, but never ran well with them. I installed a 10 round box mag and haven't looked back. It's a whole lot of cheap fun, and was more accurate than the custom AK47 a friend had with us at the time at 100 yards.

I would love to find a K98 one day to add to the collection. (there is a very early Mosin in the family. )
 
Can't beat them for the price, I've had one for a few years now and I think I paid right around there for it. Eats every ammo I feed it and is nice and accurate. Pinging steel plates and leaf springs @100yds no problem.
 
My Yugo came in basically in brand new condition. No cosmo on it either. I'm no marksman, but it is extremely accurate.
 
No problems with my Yugo. As others have stated, no chrome lined bore (I don't shoot corrosive through semi-autos anyway) and some have run into issues with the gas system for the grenade launcher getting stuck or losing parts (hasn't happened to me).

Mine was practically new, and to me cleaning the cosmo is half the fun (plus it makes you familiar with the rifle).
The stripper clips are a lot of fun and I always enjoy shooting mine, as do other new shooters I have let try it.
 

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I collect SKSs (or at least I did, i have not bought one for a number of years). SKSs are very good tight rifles. They are very accurate and as a general rule really reliable to shoot.

I have 20+SKSs. Russians are my favorite but most popular and expensive. Romanians are well built but a little harder to find. Chinese SKSs are good but not C&R. China does not share manufacturing info so you generally can't prove they are 50 years old. There were some Chinese that came through Albania and were documented to have been 50 years in Albania. These are classified as C&R. Most of those were rode hard and put away wet. I have one and its nasty.

Albanians are finicky but when i bought them they were $300-$350. i didn't like how they were not as rock steady as the other ones and problematic at the range. I had 5 Albanians. I sold them for $400 each in 2014. they are now selling from $800-$1300. [banghead] There are only 6000 Albanians that were imported into the country.

Most Yugos come with the grenade launcher and sight (unless they are an M59 which tend to be a little more money). You can also find an inert grenade and launch it assuming you have the space. All SKSs are tight solid accurate firearms. Yugos are no different. The fact they shoot X39 makes it cheaper to take to the range than mausers and other C&R. I'm not saying don't own a Mauser. i am just saying if the SKS is still available through a distributor buy one.

One of the keys to C&R collecting is that when distributors have them, they tend to be cheaper. As the supply runs out the price goes up. if they are available at a distributor and in good condition, i would buy one.

I bought a couple Yugos for $300 each and sold one for $500 when the supply ran out and we thought it was over. (they were classified as NEW by the distributor and looked it). A couple years later more were found. I am not saying speculate. At one point, Yugo SKSs were not imported and they were like $2000 each. The gates then opened up and Yugos poured in dropping the price to $59 for a number of years. How would you like to have been the guy that just bought one speculating the week before the imports. [shocked]

i am just saying buy now or regret it later when you pay more to buy one.

IMG_3405.JPG
 
Montana Rebel why he prefers the Russian and Chinese. Must be the spring weather in Montana




Jerry Miculek - don't need no stinkin stripper clips

 
Thanks for all the info guys! Probably going to go through with the Yugo. Waiting for dealer to update my account with my C&R.
 
I have one of each china,russian and yugo....oh wait i got a alby also.... they are all fine and do everything they are supposed to.
If these yugos your looking at are coming in like the previous batches that appear to be either unissued or almost not used they are a decent buy in todays market for 400ish.
 
One of the first rifles I bought with my C&R over 10 years ago was a Yugo M59/66. Decent rifles although my only gripe with them is how fat the wrist of the stock is to reinforce that area for grenade launcher use. I ended up selling mine and using the funds towards a refurb'd Russian. I still have the Russian and it's my only SKS. I thought of getting one of those beat-to-hell Chinese SKS's for fairly short money but, as always my funds gravitate towards pistol stuff instead. ;)
 
god damn this thread...

i have a russian and just HAD to buy a Yugo to match it. how much am I going to have to pay for a chinese one now? i held off for a whole day...put the thread away...went to sleep...work up and did some work...saw the thread again and checked to see if they were still available...hook...line...sinker.

i'm basically retarded.
 
Looking forward to hearing the reviews when the rifles come in. If theyre from who I think theyre from, Im passing. Been disappointed a couple of times by their ratings and $20 hand pick b.s.
 
I know which deals you're referring to...I fell prey to the M39 windfall and though I ended up with two shooters, one of them looked like someone took an axe to it...or tried to actually use it AS an axe.

What i'm reading/seeing...from what I saw of the examples that came out of this place the last time around...are actually 'as described.'

The dude I sold one of my M39's to when I upgraded to a nicer one had just bought a Yugo from the same place (about a year ago) and it was basically like new. very little cosmoline to speak of as well, but just enough :D

I've put this out there in other threads, but if anyone buys one and needs to remove the cosmoline off of it (or ANY other milsurp for that matter)...you can come by and use my industrial parts washer in Worcester. All I ask in return is a bottle of an interesting beer of your choosing to spice up my life a little.
 
Dakar652 said:
I know which deals you're referring to...I fell prey to the M39 windfall and though I ended up with two shooters, one of them looked like someone took an axe to it...or tried to actually use it AS an axe.

What i'm reading/seeing...from what I saw of the examples that came out of this place the last time around...are actually 'as described.'

The dude I sold one of my M39's to when I upgraded to a nicer one had just bought a Yugo from the same place (about a year ago) and it was basically like new. very little cosmoline to speak of as well, but just enough :D

I've put this out there in other threads, but if anyone buys one and needs to remove the cosmoline off of it (or ANY other milsurp for that matter)...you can come by and use my industrial parts washer in Worcester. All I ask in return is a bottle of an interesting beer of your choosing to spice up my life a little.
Click to expand...
I have one of those as well. Stocks beat up.
 
On the subject of Chinese SKS's, I just received an advance email from a certain online retailer that 2 good condition Chinese SKS will be for sale for $475 and $425. Seem to be in better condition than most. Not C&R. PM for dealer name, should be going onto their regular listings soon.
 
mac1911 said:
if you have a line on a M57 with out a safety other than hammer half cock please let me know
Click to expand...

The more recent batches that came in use a modified trigger safety. No extra holes in the frame or the slide. Gents are swapping it with a stock trigger. The problem is with the mixed dates there's basically no C&R eligible left at this point.

There lies the issue with those who are mass subjects. No c&r on HG and they are SOL because no 01/07 is going to transfer a milsurp thats not on the queens "unrestricted" list. CT already crippled the 03 with a 4473 BG required on everything. Universal BS checks anyone? Only a matter of time here, so I would think about prioritizing HGs over LGs in terms of acquisition.

Mine is from last years batch with the added thumb safety on the frame. Requested 5 flame but got 6 flame. Requests on hand picks and all basically are ignored. At least it's not rusted up and cracked grips for a VG surplus.
 
Hardwired said:
Montana Rebel why he prefers the Russian and Chinese. Must be the spring weather in Montana




Jerry Miculek - don't need no stinkin stripper clips

Click to expand...

love how he loads it, I had a older Vietnamese gent show me that at the range back in 1990 when I picked up my first SKS.
Jerry cracks me up. I know he can shoot fast but he often will load 6 rounds in everything

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_760633&feature=iv&src_vid=BZ6Lh6IsNpQ&v=gNtBe6zUytI

finger is just on 6 shot auto!
 

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